While most local officials have refused to take a public position on Houston Independent School District’s $4.4 billion bond, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced her support for it this week.
The bond is the largest in state history and is expected to cost more than $8 billion once interest is included. While the total cost to taxpayers isn’t disclosed on the ballot, state law requires school districts to warn voters of the tax impact of bonds by including in the ballot language: “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.”
Hidalgo said even though she takes issue with the state-appointed Board of Managers and the current Houston ISD administration under Superintendent Mike Miles, the improvements can’t wait.
“I’ve been asked my perspective on the HISD bond proposed by the appointed Board of Managers and have a better sense of where I stand,” said Hidalgo.
Since the TEA takeover of HISD, I’ve heard from parents, teachers, principals, students, and other stakeholders who are deeply distressed by the changes imposed under the takeover. Many have reported a troubling culture, puzzling or even counterproductive directives, and feel there is not an effective system for their concerns to be addressed. There is well-founded alarm over the Board of Managers’ ability to impose sweeping changes without accountability.
The statement from Hidalgo went on to recap a visit she took that same day to a Houston ISD school. She was “alarmed” to see that only a fence separates the outside from six classrooms and that the library smelled “musty.”
“I will continue to advocate for increased community involvement, meaningful engagement, and, most importantly, the end of the TEA takeover. At the same time, I believe crucial investments are needed in our schools and cannot wait,” she added. “I don’t think those two things are in conflict. I see no downside to an investment in infrastructure – particularly safety infrastructure at a time when local school tragedies are all too common. No student should have to learn under poor conditions and inadequate security, whether under a fairly elected board or an unfairly appointed one that I believe is fundamentally undemocratic.”
Hidalgo joins the Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Region Business Coalition in her support of the bond.
The Harris County Republican and Democrat Parties have both announced opposition, as have several parent groups, the teacher’s union, the Metropolitan Organization, an association of Houston churches, and Houston’s NAACP branch.
